Adipurush REVIEW: Saif Ali Khan and Kriti Sanon steal the show in this Prabhas starrer

Film: Adipurush

Duration: 2 hours 59 minutes

Director: Om Raut

Starcast: Prabhas, Kriti Sanon, Saif Ali Khan, Sunny Singh, Devdatta Nage

Platform: Theatres

Bollywood Bubble Rating: 2.5/5 stars

2-and-half-stars

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Adipurush REVIEW:

Ever since the trailer of Om Raut’s mythological epic was released it has been a hot topic of discussion on social media. Honestly, I was also very charmed to see the scale at which Prabhas, Kriti Sanon, Saif Ali Khan, and Sunny Singh brought this film to the big screen. It is an adaptation of the Ramayana, and in terms of the story it has managed to retain the essence.

While the team has claimed Adipurush to be Har Bhartiya Ki film, it feels so. Adipurush is more than a film made for entertainment, it is an experience of a golden chapter in Indian history. Though it lacks a little impact in many places.

Inspired by the epic of Ramayana, Adipurush starts on a great note, however, hasty narrations and highlights in places lead to confusion for the uninitiated. Especially, I feel a voice-over giving the back story at both the start and end would have really helped.

As for performances, Saif Ali Khan as Ravan takes the cake. Kriti as Janaki is also very impressive. In fact, her dialogue delivery will leave you smitten. Prabhas on the other hand is serene as Raghav, but he fails to be dynamic. In fact, I couldn’t help but get reminded of Baahubali a lot when I saw Prabhas’s character. Another impressive performance was from Devdatta Nage who plays Hanuman. The way he essayed the role was just too fun, I loved Vatsal Seth too.

In terms of direction, I liked the decent amount of creative liberty Om Raut took in this one. His vision of telling the story was great, however, the lineup of events needed a little more thought. I say so in terms of the songs placement and the moments giving the back story. There were moments where things went too fast and moments that even went quite slow.

What’s great about Adipurush…

1. Saif Ali Khan as Ravana…

Undoubtedly, Saif has delivered the best performance in Adipurush. He has brought out the might of Ravan so well. With his demeanor, expressions, the dialogue delivery, Saif carried the right grit and intensity his role needed. In fact, the body language Saif got in the character accentuated the impact of his role. He is best suited as the villain and truly leaves you spellbound with his performance. In fact, as an audience Saif as the dash-avatar will leave you intimidated.

2. Kriti Sanon as Janaki…

I have to say the posters, as well as the glimpses in the trailer, haven’t done enough justice to the poise Kriti brings to Janaki. While her character looked very simple, it was very layered. The onus lay on Kriti’s shoulders to add the right grace and impact to her portrayal of Sita. And woah! She did a fabulous job. Her dialogue delivery in the film is so impressive, it has pain, confidence, sternness, and grace. Kudos to Kriti for acing this performance.

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3. Devdatta Nage as Hanuman…

Hanuman’s character is one of the toughest ones to play. Especially, because the scope of performing was very niche. But Devdatta made it look so easy, he gave out the right emotions and was like a silver lining. He made Hanuman’s character even more loveable.

Drawbacks of Adipurush…

1. Prabhas as Raghav and Sunny Singh as Sesh

Both Prabhas and Sunny are not bad in the film, but they don’t cast an impactful shadow like the other characters do. While Sunny looked very docile being a loyal brother, he didn’t carry the charm he could have. Raghav on the other hand carried that charm, but it was very limited. I felt the impact of Raghav’s might very scarcely, in fact, only in the part where he gives a speech to Vanar sena. And as I said, there were a lot of moments where I felt I had seen this stance of Prabhas in Baahubali too.

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2. Storyline and flow…

While the first half of the film is a little weak, the second half doesn’t let you blink. Adipurush has grandeur, yet it lacks the wow factor. Something that majorly mars it is the placement of the songs, right in a moment of intensity when a viewer is witnessing an upheaval comes in a song that pulls down the build-up. There is something about the film that kills its intensity. The dialogues in the film are quite cringy, and there are too many Hollywood references too. In fact, a bit in the war sequence looks like a straight copy from Game Of Thrones.

Conclusion:

While Adipurush might not match up to a magnum opus level, it surely is a delight to watch on the 70 mm. The story might leave you not very strongly impacted, but it will sweetly touch your heart. For the performances Saif and Kriti have given, this film deserves to be watched on a big screen.

Also Read: Adipurush Final Trailer OUT: Prabhas as ‘Raghava’ faces off with ‘Lankesh’ Saif Ali Khan & it looks every bit intriguing- WATCH

Nawaz Kochra

Nawaz Kochra has been an experienced journalist in the entertainment arena for the last 9 years. Worked with the biggest brands in the media fraternity, he now heads the editorial desk at Bollywood Bubble. In addition to that, he even hosts a podcast called, Let’s Talk with Bollywood Bubble. Someone who is calm, yet a firecracker, and holds a balanced opinion about things, Nawaz is strong-headed and determined. He loves films as well as web shows and TV (yes, he is from that generation!), and that’s why writing about them is more of a passion for him than just a job.